


The Tale of Melacine

by TomorrowNeverCame



Series: Written in the Stars [2]
Category: American Horror Story
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, fairytale AU, foxxay - Freeform, goode-day, might be continued at some point, one-shot for now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 01:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16378850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomorrowNeverCame/pseuds/TomorrowNeverCame
Summary: Princess Cordelia is running for her life through the woods when she stumbles upon a strange and stunning woman who lives there.Foxxay/Goode-Day Fairytale AU requested on Tumblr.Inspired by Fleetwood Mac's unfinished demo "Melacine (The Witch)".





	The Tale of Melacine

 

 

 

 

_"Melacine is insane," they said_

_They burned your body_

_And they wished you dead_

_"You're a witch," they cried_

_They feared the silence in your cat green eyes_

_Melacine lived alone by the sea_

_She was not lonely,_

_She was not lonely..._

_She lived on herbs_

_And her sense for a dream_

_And such a beauty was Melacine_

 

Cordelia swore as another bramble grabbed her dress, tripping her slightly. She yanked it free carelessly; there would be no one to complain that the expensive fabric was ruined if she had any choice in the matter. _Then again_ , she considered, _there won’t be anyone to replace it when it becomes unwearable, either_. She should have taken some supplies with her before running off, but there had been no way under her mother’s watchful eye. She’d only brought what was plausible for a morning of gathering herbs. Swiping white-blonde hair from her sticky forehead, Cordelia plundered on through the brush. _There’s salt on the breeze, I must be close to the sea._

 

A plan was just beginning to take root in her mind when the sound of music distracted her. Coming to a dead stop, she held her breathe and tried to listen over the blood rushing in her ears. For a long moment, there was no sound. _It must have just been a passing bird_. But, no, there it was again—humming. _Is there someone else out here?_  Biting her lip, Cordelia leaned against a nearby tree and considered her options.

 

She knew there were bandits in these woods. It was the whole reason she’d had so much trouble getting away in the first place; her mother refused to let her outside the castle walls without a guard.  _But I have no food_ , she reasoned, _and no idea what I’ll do when night falls. I need help._ Besides, it sounded like only one person. A woman. _And would bandits really be strolling through the woods singing?_  Picking up her skirts once again, she made her way cautiously towards the owner of the melodic sound. At least if bandits did kill her, she wouldn’t have to go back _there_.

 

Whoever Cordelia had expected to come across humming in the middle of the forest, it was not who she found. The young woman had her back to Cordelia, golden hair falling loose and wild around her shawl-covered shoulders. Unaware of her audience, the stranger drifted between the rows of what was clearly a garden, carefully selecting leafy green stems for her basket. _Definitely not a bandit, at least_ , Cordelia thought absently, biting her lip as she realized that she had absolutely no idea how to announce her presence. The decision was made for her when the branch she’d been using to support herself snapped under her weight. The mysterious woman spun around, basket clutched in front of her like a shield. 

 

“Oh, my gods!” She gasped. Cordelia threw her palms up reflexively, praying the other woman wouldn’t run off.

 

“I’m sorry!” She exclaimed. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I—I got lost, and I heard you singing, and...” The wild-haired blonde relaxed slightly, looking Cordelia over with wide eyes.

 

“Must’a been wanderin’ a while if you managed to find me. Nearest road’s miles away.” Cordelia sighed in relief; at least she wasn’t hostile. Still eyeing her carefully, she stepped into the clearing.

 

“I was heading towards the sea. I thought if I could get there, I could walk until I found a port.” The younger woman shook her head, lips twitching upward. Light as air, she approached.

 

“Well, we’re close to the water, but it’s half a day’s walk to the nearest dock. No offense, but I doubt you’d make it. You look ready to drop.” Cordelia nearly tripped over her own feet, turning as the strange girl circled her. “When’s the last time you ate?”

 

“I…” The pale woman twisted her skirt in her hands. _I have no idea how long it’s been since I started running_. The stranger furrowed her brow, blue-green eyes softening.

 

“Alright, come on.” Gauzy skirts fluttered around her ankles as she turned on the spot, heading towards the opposite end of the garden and a barely-visible path.

 

“Wh—what?” The young woman threw her a smirk.

 

“Would you rather stay out here alone?” _Good point_. Cordelia hurried after her unlikely savior. 

 

“I don’t even know your name,” Cordelia panted, hurrying to catch up to the forest woman’s long, confident strides. 

 

“I’m—my name is Melacine.” She noticed the pause in the woman’s words but shrugged it off. _I’d be wary of telling a strange woman my identity, too. I should be wary. Oh, shit, what am I going to tell her my name is?_ Her inner monologue was cut off as she stumbled past the brush, almost running right into the forest woman—Melacine—who had come to a halt in front of a small shack. The wooden structure was rough and weathered but solid, and Melacine grinned over her shoulder before leading Cordelia inside. 

 

“I’m, uh, Dee...” She trailed off, gazing with wide eyes around the hut. The fading sun gave the wood a warm glow and bounced off of shelves full with glass jars and colorful pottery. Lacy shawls and knit blankets draped every available surface, giving the otherwise scarce interior a cozy atmosphere. A bed, table, and chair made up the furniture in the main room; the smaller area they’d passed through from outside held a stove and water basin.

 

Melacine brushed past the shorter woman to dump her collection of fresh herbs and vegetables in the basin for washing, humming to herself all the while. Cordelia felt unable to do anything but stand and observe her, this strangely enchanting woman who lived alone by the sea and sang to her garden.

 

“You can stay here t’night, and in the morning I’ll take you to the port. ‘Kay?” The wild-haired blonde glanced at her while she worked, eyes flashing green in the golden evening light. “I know it ain’t much, but make yourself comfortable."

 

Cordelia bit her lip, feeling like an intruder but unable to resist her curiosity. Most of the objects around the shack were easily identifiable, though the jars of mud gave her pause. The sound of lazy waves beckoned her towards the far wall where another door sat between two windows. Pushing aside the strands of woven fabric that made up a curtain, she saw that the house sat on a shelf of land with a short drop leading down to the beach. The cove dipped in toward the land here, tall trees shielding it from either side. _For someone who clearly doesn’t want to be found, she doesn’t seem too concerned about me being here_. A throat cleared from behind her, and Cordelia jumped slightly, facing Melacine with a sheepish smile.

 

“Here ya go.” The taller woman handed her a bowl and ushered her out the door, flopping down to dangle her legs over the edge of the bank. Cordelia sat carefully beside her, rearranging her skirts over her crossed legs.

 

“It’s beautiful out here,” she murmured, eyes flicking between the sunset and her new companion. The younger woman beamed at her.

 

“Isn’t it? I love it.”

 

“Don’t you get lonely?” The girl’s face fell, just for a moment.

 

“No…my plants and the ocean’s all I need.” Cordelia nodded, biting back the comment on the tip of her tongue. _You are lonely, and so kind. So why aren’t you with people if you want to be?_  “I do get a little outta touch with the rest of the world, though. I only get whatever news I pick up at the ports. So, tell me: what’s the latest?”

 

“Um.” She gulped, putting down the bowl of stew to sit on her fidgety hands. “The—the princess ran away.” Melanie gaped at her.

 

“Princess Cordelia _ran away_?” She nodded, tensing involuntarily. _She’s going to think I’m so irresponsible, so stupid, so—_ The forest woman’s laugh took her by surprise. “Oh, that’s so cool! Good for her! If only the rest of us could escape from Queen Fiona so easily.” Melacine kicked her legs gleefully, staring at the ocean like she could see the boat the princess hoped would take her far away.

 

“I wouldn’t say it was easy,” Cordelia muttered. “She doesn’t know anything about surviving in the real world—I’m guessing."

 

“No,” Melacine hummed around a mouthful of stew, “but at least no one knows what she looks like. The only ones she’s gotta watch for are the guards, but other than that…she’s free.”

 

“Not as free as you,” Cordelia teased, bumping her companion’s shoulder. _Please, let’s just drop it. Let’s talk about something else. Let’s talk about you_. “How’d you find this place? Did you build it?”

 

“I—“ Her back went rigid, and she twisted to narrow her eyes at the wall of trees. A beat later, the princess heard what Melacine had sensed: there were people in the woods, heading their way. “Shit.” Before Cordelia could blink, she was being hauled up from the ground and dragged back inside. Melacine’s hand trembled in hers, but then she was gone, moving through the shack in a whirl of lace, stuffing blankets and jars of mud and a small coin purse into one bag while another was filled with food. The shorter woman stood dumbly, tracking these movements without really seeing. _Oh, Gods, they’ve found me. They’ll find me and take me back. This is it. I’ll be dead before tomorrow_. She started violently when the frantic blonde grabbed her hand.

 

“Hey, come on.” Cordelia’s eyes filled with tears. _I really liked her_. “Dee, come _on_ , we gotta get out of here.” She barely caught herself as Melacine tugged her forward, but it was enough to finally snap her back to reality. She followed the forest woman back along the path toward the garden, flinching at every unnatural noise coming from their left; the intruders were almost upon the shack. Melacine moved quickly and silently over the ground, avoiding roots and rocks with practiced ease. _She’s barefoot. Has she been barefoot this whole time?_ Her lungs were already burning with the effort of keeping up as she struggled to replicate the cat-like movements.

 

“Hey, look, there’s a house back here! Spread out!” Glancing back, Cordelia just caught a glimpse of flashing chainmail before they were lost in the trees.

 

Branches scratched at her face and pulled loose threads in her sleeves as Melacine jerked her down another path out of the garden that was even more well-concealed than the one to the house. It led them to the right, away from whoever was looking for them. Their hands gripped each other’s tightly, slipping from sweat but never letting go. They kept running long after the path had disappeared. Cordelia’s limbs screamed with the need for rest, but the wild girl was determined. Only after the evening light had faded entirely did Melacine finally stop, still on edge as she paced even as Cordelia collapsed against a tree. _I can’t run anymore. I don’t think I can even stand. Even if she says we have to keep going, even if they find us right now—I can’t_. The taller blonde, finally satisfied with her inspection of the area, flopped beside her. For a long moment, no sound filled the air except their heavy pants.

 

“Here.” A thick cloak landed on her shoulders, and she shrugged it off with a shake of her head. “No, keep it on. You’ll get sick if you cool off too quick.”

 

“I’m—“ Cordelia swallowed thickly. Her throat ached. “I’m sorry.” Melacine huffed a laugh, digging through one bag in the dark.

 

“What for? I’m the one that dragged you out here, dragged you into my problems. It was probably just some lost travelers got turned around.”

 

“It wasn’t travelers.” The princess wrapped her arms around her knees. Her head thunked against the tree. “They were soldiers. Searching the woods.” Melacine held up two apples triumphantly, handing one to Cordelia and taking a bite of her own.

 

“Soldiers? Why would soldiers be… _oh_.” Cordelia bit her lip, glancing at her companion out of the corner of her eye. Only her silhouette was visible in the dim moonlight, giving her frizzy hair a silver glow.  _She looks like an angel_. “Shit. You’re—huh, is it weird to say I’m relieved? I thought…never mind.” Melacine cleared her throat. “Pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

 

“Please, don’t.” Cordelia grimaced. “I’m not a princess, not anymore. I don’t want to be. It was going to get me killed.”

 

“Your mama.”

 

“How’d you know?” Melacine shrugged, turning her face towards the moon.

 

“You didn’t have any supplies, no food, no real plan. People don’t run away like that ‘less they’re runnin’ for their lives.”

 

“You sound like you know,” she murmured, examining the younger woman carefully. “You live alone by the sea, hiding yourself from the world. You thought those soldiers were after you and knew exactly what to grab before running. Who are you, Melacine?"

 

“Cordelia,” she sighed, bowing so her hair shielded her from the princess' probing gaze. “I like you. I want to help you. So, do me a favor, and just let me.” _She’s on your side, don’t give her a reason to change her mind. You don’t know her. You don’t know what she’s capable of_. All these warnings rattled through her mind as Cordelia knelt forward and grasped the wild blonde’s shoulders. She looked up at Cordelia with wide eyes, close enough that their hair stirred between them with every breath. 

 

“Who are you?” Melacine’s eyes slid closed in defeat. _I could kiss her right now_. The thought took her by surprise, making her lean back on her heels, but the forest woman didn’t notice.

 

“Think we could use some light?” she asked suddenly.

 

“Wha—ah!” Cordelia flinched back against the tree trunk as flames burst to life only a few feet away. Chest heaving, she looked between the fire and the blonde with wide eyes. Melacine gazed back steadily, the light dancing in her blue-green eyes.

 

“You’re a witch,” she breathed. Her strange companion bit her lip, fists twisting in the lace of her shawl. _She’s scared. She thinks I’ll leave_. Slowly, Cordelia settled back in her previous position. Her eyes darted to the flames, flickering calmly inside an invisible boundary. “Is that why you live out here?” Melacine looked away.

 

“I didn’t always. About a year ago, my community, they found out what I could do. They—“ she broke off, rubbing at her eyes.

 

“I remember that,” Cordelia told her.  _That girl who went missing. There were rumors—they said she was…_ "You’re Misty Day.” 

 

“It’s been a long time since I heard that name,” she chuckled sadly.

 

“But I thought…they said you were burned at the stake.”

 

“I was.” Misty’s small smile disappeared as she looked off into the past. “I came back. Just…woke up one day out in the woods where they’d thrown my body. Wandered until I found this place.” She shrugged, bottom lip trembling. “It’s safe enough."

 

“Oh, Misty…” The younger woman rocked forward with a sob, and Cordelia caught her without thinking. _Her hair is as soft as it looks_. It tickled the underside of her jaw where Misty had buried her face, and she ran her fingers through the waves until the witch calmed down. _I can’t let her be found_. She was blinking heavily against her own tears by the time the forest woman pulled back, wiping sheepishly at her cheeks. 

 

“Sorry ‘bout that, I just…never actually been able to tell anyone this before.” 

 

“I understand.” Cordelia rubbed Misty’s arm absently, smothering a yawn with her other hand. The forest witch winced at the sight.

 

“Shit, sorry, we really ought’a sleep.” She twisted out of reach, grabbing the larger bag and pulling out a thick woven blanket. Spreading it down flat near the fire, the two women laid side by side, wrapped in their cloaks. Misty faced her, eyes closed, and the princess drank in every detail she could make out in the dim light. _She’s such a beautiful soul, still so kind after all that’s happened to her_. A curl fell over her face, and Cordelia tucked it behind her ear without thinking. Misty’s lips quirked up, eyes opening to lazy slits as the older blonde drew back. 

 

“What are you going to do? When you get away from here?” Cordelia’s chest tightened.

 

“I—I don’t know.” _She’ll be all alone again. I don’t know how she copes. I don’t know how I will_. “…Misty?” A soft snore was her only answer, and she sighed, curling closer to the tall blonde.

 

Cordelia woke before dawn. Beside her, Misty slept peacefully. She didn’t stir as the older woman rose stiffly, cloak wrapped tight against the early morning chill. It only took minutes to separate the belongings in the girl’s bag. The food and half the coins, she kept; everything else was laid carefully on the vacant side of the blanket. _I hope she’ll forgive me_. 

 

She almost groaned openly as her knees resisted rising.  _I ran more yesterday than in the rest of my life combined. Gods, that was all just yesterday. And who knows how long it will be until I can stop_. With a heavy sigh, the princess scanned the clearing. _I don’t even know which direction to go. We can’t be too far from the water_. She started hesitantly in the direction she thought was right, and found the water’s edge after only a few minutes’ walk. Miles in the distance, the fuzzy shapes of the port stood between seas of green and blue. Cordelia sighed, looking back the way she came, imagining Misty waking up alone hours from now. _It’s for the best_. Yet her feet moved without consent; she couldn’t resist telling the woman goodbye, even silently. 

 

The princess had been tempting fate since her escape from the palace, so it was almost unsurprising that Misty was awake. What was surprising, however, was the twirling. The young woman had her face to the brightening sky, hair and skirt and shawl all flying as she spun in a circle of wildflowers.  _She’s…radiant. I don’t know how I could have thought she was anything but a witch_. Misty’s eyes were closed, dark makeup smudged from yesterday and making her all the more ethereal; there was still time to turn and run before she noticed the princess, but Cordelia stood entranced. After some minutes, Misty’s movements slowed to a stop, and she sunk down in the grass. Cordelia realized she was crying.

 

“Misty.” The forest witch sprung up, facing her with wide eyes.

 

“Cordelia,” she breathed, twisting the fringe of her shawl. “I—I thought you left.”

 

“I did—I am—I just…couldn’t go without saying goodbye.”

 

“Why do you have to say it now? I was gonna take you all the way to the port. Is it—Are you scared of me?"

 

“ _No_ , Misty.” All resolve broken, Cordelia strode into the circle, grabbing the taller woman’s hands. “It’s not that. I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re safe here in the woods—even being seen helping me would put you in danger, never mind if we both actually got caught.” Misty shifted, bottom lip between her teeth.

 

“You could stay with me.” Cordelia sighed. _I only met her yesterday. How can it hurt this much?_ But, oh, when Misty looked up at her with those pleading blue eyes, it did. “Hardly anyone ever finds the shack, and if they do I just hide 'til they’re gone. It would keep you safe, too."

 

“I wish I could,” she admitted. “But it’s not the same. Everyone thinks you’re dead—they’re not trying to find you. I don’t know if Fiona will ever stop looking for me.” 

 

“Then let me come with you.”

 

“Misty…” The taller woman ran a hand through her thick curls, searching the sky for words.

 

“I know it’s a risk, I _know_ , but I can’t bear livin’ alone anymore. Facin’ the rest of my life like that sounds worse than dyin’.” Her fingers tightened in Cordelia’s. “I want to start over, too. Don’t you think we might have a better chance together?” They stood frozen, ocean eyes searching earth-colored ones.  _She's right. You have no idea how to survive on your own. You need her, and—Hell, admit it—you want her. She’s the closest thing to a friend you have right now, might have for a long time._

 

“Okay,” Cordelia whispered. “Okay. We’ll go together. We’ll find somewhere safe, somewhere no one knows us. I—” she swallowed thickly and wet her lips. “I don’t want to leave you, either.” Misty let out a rush of air, throwing her arms around the princess with a laugh. The shorter woman caught her around the waist, brow still troubled. _I’ll never forgive myself if she gets hurt_.

 

“Your house—Misty, you might never see it again.” The witch pulled back, shaking her head.

 

“I grabbed everything I care about when we ran, just in case. I’m ready, I promise.” Cordelia scrutinized her carefully, but there was no hesitation in her face, and she finally allowed herself a small smile.

 

“Then let’s go."

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out so much longer than intended, but I just loved writing it. I may make it a full story at some point; I've got so many ideas.


End file.
